Pregnancy brings more than just strange cravings, an expanding waistline, and an emotional roller coaster. There are many fantastic body changes, skin changes, and hormonal changes that could happen to you in nine months. Some pregnant women witness a lot more than just your physical body growing; you also start to have mood swings, your hair becomes healthier, with rosy cheeks, and your armpit can get darker along with your neck. 

Some even have skin tags, discoloration, varicose veins, and breakouts. In contrast, some women experience the total opposite of these. Their skin becomes more clear, acne-free, with disappearing varicose veins, and so on. Pregnancy has a different effect on women. As Judith Hellman, MD says, “All pregnant women experience skin changes as both progesterone and estrogen levels changes as well.” 

Here are some skin changes you can expect and what you can do about them: 

Acne: This is one of the most common problems pregnant women deal with during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester and up until five months. Your body undergoes significant hormonal changes, which means that the increase in progesterone levels also triggers the sebaceous glands, which produce more oil, causing breakouts.  

What To Do About It? 

To fight this unwanted acne or blemishes, you can use gentle acne products. As much as possible, avoid products that consist of salicylic acid, retinoids, and retinol, because of possible congenital disabilities. Dr. Schulman advises using benzoyl peroxide instead as it’s not harmful to your health and can help you fight breakouts.  

Stretch marks: It is also called striae or more commonly known as stretch marks. These are pretty common during the second and third trimesters, often caused by the stretching of the skin. They can often be seen on thighs, hips, breasts, buttocks, and abdomen. Even though these marks are not harmful since your skin will shrink and eventually fade into white-colored scars, some women don’t like it because it is still visible after pregnancy. This can be a significant problem if you want to wear sexy clothes or swimsuits.  

What To Do About It? 

There are many ways on how you can remove stretch marks. Some women just let it fade till it’s not visible anymore. Since you’re not entirely sure that it’ll fade over time, you can use products that claim to treat or prevent stretch marks, such as some ointments and creams. However, there is no reliable evidence that they work, and research says that it is only partially effective and won’t eradicate stretch marks. The best possible solution for this is skin tightening Denver. This method includes a plasma pen (aka fibroblast) which stimulates the skin to tighten naturally. You may want to wait until after you are done having kids to initiate this treatment. 

Pigmentation changes: Around three-fourths of pregnant women get linea nigra, a dark black, vertical line heading from the belly button to the pubic area. You might also notice that some areas such as your inner thighs, armpit, neck, nipples, and genitals might darken as well. Chloasma, or the dark patches that might develop on your face, is also possible and might never go away even after childbirth. Still, the skin typically returns to its normal pigment over several months after birth.  

What To Do About It? 

To prevent chloasma from getting worse, it’s best to avoid sun exposure. Or, if you plan to expose your belly in a bikini, you can use sunscreen but make sure that it’s safe for you to use. UV rays can cause the linea nigra to be darker and other body parts as well.  

Varicose veins: These are the visible veins that you can see on your legs, thighs, feet, and everywhere on your body. There’s a negative side to the increased blood volume that brings a glow to your skin. You might develop varicose veins due to your uterus exerting tremendous pressure on these veins. Some experience pain, especially during cold weather, or sometimes due to swelling. This is due to hormonal changes. 

What To Do About It? 

You can cure this by exercising. Exercise boosts circulation and keeps blood from pooling (which causes varicose veins). There are also non-invasive treatments, ointments, and creams that claim to help fix varicose. Of course, on the other hand, there are surgery and vein injections that can help you heal varicose veins. “Three to 12 months after birth, Varicose veins that develop during pregnancy generally improve without medical treatment,” explains Luis Navarro, MD, director of the Vein Treatment Center in Manhattan (https://www.ourfitfamilylife.com/blog/8-tips-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-pregnancy). 

Dr. Navarro also added that Sclerotherapy is the most effective treatment if varicose veins don’t fade independently. Sclerotherapy is where the dermatologist or vascular surgeon injects foam into the veins to close them up.  

Summary 

Skin changes are inevitable for pregnant women, especially in the Denver climate. Their bodies undergo a significant amount of changes both physically and emotionally as the little one(s) grow inside them. These changes will gradually fade after the baby is born, but some of them may remain for life.